The Bard Outdoors

A&E this week

April 20, 1997

Through May 10: It's Shakespeare by the lake for three more weeks as the Orlando-UCF Shakespeare Festival continues at the Walt Disney Amphitheater at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando.

The Merry Wives of Windsor, set in the American West in the 1870s, has performances this week at 8 p.m. today, Thursday and Saturday. Richard III, the drama about the murderous English king, has shows this week at 8 p.m. Friday and next Sunday.

The festival runs through May 10. Tickets range from $6 to $35 and are available by calling (407) 245-0985.

HOT METAL Tonight: Metallica, one of the hottest bands touring, has a 7 p.m. date at the Orlando Arena. The group's album Load, which sports a less metallic brand of hard rock than previous ventures, has sold 3 million copies and remains in the top 50 on Billboard magazine's album chart nearly a year after its release.

The band, made up of of singer-guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted, takes the stage tonight after opening act Corrosion of Conformity. Tickets are $25.50 and $35.50 through Ticketmaster outlets.

MORE 'SAIGON' Through May 3: The touring version of the musical Miss Saigon - featuring that famous computer-operated, 700-pound helicopter - has seven performances this week at the Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando.

Deedee Lynn Magno, who got her acting start in Orlando in The New Mickey Mouse Club TV show, stars as Kim, the prostitute who has a heartbreaking affair with a U.S. Marine during the Vietnam War. Will Chase is the soldier, Chris.

This week's performances of the flashy love story are at 2 p.m. today and Saturday and 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. The shows run though May 3. Tickets are $16-$61 and are available at the Orlando Arena box office, or, with a service charge, at all Ticketmaster outlets, (407) 839-3900.

EVENING ART Saturday night: More than 200 artists are joining to host ''Arts in April,'' a combination of art, food and music in Orlando.

Artists participating in the event cover a broad range of specialties, from painting to sculpture to mixed media. McRae on the Lake artists studio, the Flying Turtle Gallery and the Warehouse Gallery will be the main exhibition spaces for the event, which will run from 5 to 11 p.m. Saturday. All are on Alden Road or Philadelphia Avenue, east of Orange Avenue between Princeton Street and Virginia Drive. Other studios participating include Neon Art Works, Screen Arts Studio and Fine Office Furniture and Designs.

Food will be available from vendors, and more than 10 bands will perform, said Robin Van Arsdel, chairman of the organizing committee. Admission is free.

HELLO, CAROL Friday-next Sunday: Carol Channing, the vivacious Tony Award-winning performer best known for her starring role in Hello, Dolly!, has shows scheduled at Disney's Epcot.

Channing will perform with the All-American College Jazz Band at 6:45 and 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and next Sunday at the park's America Gardens. The performance is included in regular park admission. For details, call (407) 824-4321.